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Sunday, November 27, 2016

The deer hunting in northern Maine is unlike hunting in many
other parts of the United States. The vast, thickly forested areas that cover
the region can hide the majestic animals like a fog.

Baba is my adopted brother from Africa. Although we don’t
see each other much these days due to life getting in the way, Thanksgiving
tends to bring us back together. Hunting has never been a pastime for Baba like
it is for me and it’s also my profession. However, Baba’s 2016 trip would change
all that with a newly found love for the outdoors and hunting. This was truly a
special trip for both of us.

Because of the diminished deer population here in Northern
Maine, I haven’t spent much time hunting the illusive whitetail except for the
weekend of Thanksgiving as it is a standing tradition that cannot be skipped.
2016 was no different except for this year, I took along my brother Baba.After locating an excellent pocket of deer,
Baba and I set out to place a blind in an area where does were feeding. The
snow that blanketed the area helped to expose the deer sign and their travel behaviors
that led to the location of the blind. His first 3 hours sitting in the blind were
unproductive.

The next day, deer were moving heavily. On our way into our spot,
we noticed a great buck track. A buck was meandering through the area in search of does. I realized I needed to get Baba into his
blind quickly. On our way in, we cut the buck track again. My girlfriend was
also hunting with us so I placed her in an area I thought the buck might travel
through then I set off on a tracking mission. The buck began wondering through
the cuts and started to circle and head back into the woods. As I was tracking
and glancing in front of me with my EOTech Thermal Imager, I noticed his track
heading into what seemed like the same clear-cut I had just followed him
through. When I entered the cut, I knew he was close but was still unsure of
which cut I was in due to the dense fog lifting off the snow. Just then, I saw
the buck! He was 150 yards in the cut. With no shot, I began to circle the buck
to get a better shot. Just as I was peeking up over the brush I heard a loud shot
right next to me. I looked to the right and, to my surprise, saw Baba’s blind. He
had shot the deer and I had watched the whole thing! Happiness and joy rushed
through me. I signaled for Baba to come out. The deer had fallen from the
single shot from his Forbes rifle. It was a moment that will never
be forgotten by me and my brother. At 32 years old, I believe Baba is now a
hunter for life. A great day to give thanks and a great day to celebrate a
great tradition that brings people together. What a hunt!